Combination transformer and vibrator



Dec. 19, 1933. s. F. JAMES 7 1,940,496

COMBINATION TRANSFORMER AND VIBRATOR Filed Dec. 7, 1931 g H y l f \S J'nVCnTO M g BAFMJAM.

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Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION TRANSFORMER AND VIBRATOR 12 Claims.

My invention relates to a combination transformer and vibrator designed particularly for use in connection with a radio apparatus on an automobile. The arrangements now in use for supplying plate current for automobile radios are very unsatisfactory, in that the initial cost is quite high, in that the replacements if dry B batteries are used involve a constant heavy expense, and in that the means ordinarily employed for furnishing plate current from the usual battery of the car very soon runs the battery down to such an extent that the plate current for the radio soon fails and also that the battery becomes ineffective as a source of current for the operation of the usual starter. Moreover, when the battery is kept in its lowered power condition for any considerable time, the battery itself very rapidly deteriorates so that its life is unduly shortened.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved form and arrangement of parts for so arranged and operating as to have a high efficiency whereby a plate current for a radio may be provided from an ordinary 6-volt battery without the necessity for recharging the bat tery constantly at a very high rate. It is another object of my invention to provide an arrangement of this type of such efiiciency that its size, weight and cost may be cut down materially as compared with such features of the present arrangements, including means for rectifying the output for plate current use.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an improved induction coil comprising a complete soft iron return path for the lines of magnetic force arranged for insuring the production of a magnetic field of maximum efiiciency and comprising improved means for producing the desired vibration of a circuit breaker by the power of the magnetic flux flowing through the portion of the core upon which the secondary coil is mounted, such vibrator means being arranged for causing a complete make and break of the circuit at each stroke thereof for providing alternating current of comparatively smooth and symmetrical form. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an arrangement of this type in which an eflective part of the core is supported yieldingly in position and arranged in such manner that upon the building up of a flux therethrough said yieldingly mounted core part is moved toward another core core portion as above specified is connected in shunt relation to a part of a principal core member. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an improved arrangement of such principal core portion for encouraging the flow of flux through the shunt member, such principal core member being preferably provided with an air gap in the portion connected in parallel arrangement with said shunt portion. It is another object of my invention to provide an arrangement of this type in which such an air gap shall be located at the best possible position with respect to the movable shunt member so as to enable the shunt member to function as a short bridging piece across the air gap for the flux flowing through said principal core member.

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claims.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the preferred form of my improved combination transformer and vibrator, showing it connected with rectifying means and filter means for providing a suitable plate current for a radio device;

Fig. 2 is a view of an arrangement similar to a part of that shown in Fig. 1 but illustrating a. modified form of construction; and

Fig. 3 is a view of another arrangement similar to a part of that shown in Fig. 1 but illustrating another modified form of construction.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 10 indicates a core member having mounted thereon a primary coil 11 and secondary coils 12 and 13. At one side of the core member 10, I have provided soft iron return path means 14, and at the opposite side of the core member 10 I have provided a second soft iron return path means 15. In the arrangement shown, the return path means 15 is of smaller cross section than the return path means 14, and is provided with an air gap 16 therein.

The core member 10 and the return path means 14 and 15 are all preferably of laminated form as indicated at the left in Fig. 1.

At the end of the core member 10, I have mounted a soft iron arm 17 such arm being spaced from the core member 10 by a soft iron plate 18, the arrangement being such that the arm 17 has good magnetic connection with said core member 10. The arm 17 extends along the outer face of the return path means 15 toward and past the air gap 16, being at its end portion in slightly spaced relation to the face of the return path means at both sides of the air gap 16. A screw 19 mounted in a standard 20 bears against the outer face of the arm 17 as is usual in connec tion with the vibrator of an induction coil. In the arrangement shown the arm 17 and the screw 19 are connected by leads 21 and 22 respectively with the primary coil 11, an ordinary G-volt battery 23 being connected in series in the lead 22. The point of the screw 19 and a part of the arm 17 are provided with suitable make and break points of platinum or other suitable material as is usual. In the arrangement shown I have connected an electrolytic condenser 24 of four microfarads capacity between the leads 21 and 22.

With the parts arranged as above described, when a current is established through the battery 23 and the coil 11, a flux is built up through the core member 10 and the return path means 14, the complete magnetic metal return path arrangement being such as to insure high efliciency of the construction as a transformer so as to produce effective potentials through the coils 12 and 13 when such coils are closed by circuit means as hereinafter described. At the same time, a comparatively very much weaker flux is built up through the core member 10 and the return path means 15, such flux being comparatively very much weaker both by reason of the smaller cross sectional size of the return path means 15 and also by reason of the provision of the air gap 16. I have found in practice, however, that with the arrangement as shown in my drawing a sufficiently heavy flux is established through the return path means 15 to cause a considerable attraction between the end portion of the arm 17 and the adjacent portion of the return path means 15 at the right of the air gap 16 as shown in said Fig. 1. The attraction between these parts is considerable even when the flux flowing through the return path means 14 is far below saturation. The attraction is doubly strong between the end of the arm 17 and the adjacent portion of the return path means 15 by reason of the fact that such parts are of opposite polarity, the plate 18 and the arm 17 comprising in effect an auxiliary or shunt core part by which such desired result is attained.

The arrangement as shown is such that promptly upon the building up of a flux through the parts as above described the arm 17 is attracted toward the return path means15, being caused to move so as to break the circuit through the leads 21 and 22, serving in the well understood manner to cause a collapse of the magnetic field through the core, whereupon the arm 17 returns to the position as shown in the drawing. As will be readily understood, as the arm 17 approaches the parts of the return path at opposite sides of the air gap 16, a portion of the lines of magnetic force jump from the return path to the end portion of the arm 17 and thence to the return path means at the opposite side of the air gap. The arrangement is such that the arm 17 is given a quirk movement toward the return path means so as to effect a complete break of the circuit 21-22, this being effected as above described through the joint action of the flux passing along the arm 17 from the plate 18 and the flux comprising the lines of force which span the air gaps between the return path means 15 and the arm 17 at its end portion.

In the arrangement shown, I have provided the secondary coil 12 of such number of turns as to provide the desired size and voltage of current for the filament 25 of a 2-electrode vacuum tube 23 for heating such filament in the well understood manner. In the arrangement shown the coil 12 is connected with the filament by means of leads 27 and 28. The secondary coil 13 is of such number of turns as to provide the desired voltage therethrough, such coil 13 being connected by a lead 29 with the plate 30 of the tube 36, and having its opposite end connected with a lead 31. The filament circuit 27-28 has a lead 32 connected therewith in such arrangement as to cooperate with the lead 31 for taking the current from the coil 13 and the tube 26. The tube 26, as will be readily understood, serves to rectify the current delivered from the coil 13,-or rather to prevent the flow of current through said coil 13 in one direction so as to insure that the flow through said coil and through the leads 31 and 32 shall be unidirectional.

In the arrangement shown a condenser 33 of one microfarads capacity is connected between the leads 31 and 32 at one side of a choke coil 34 connected in series in the lead 32, and a condenser 35 of two microfarads capacity is connected between the leads 31 and 32 at the opposite side of the choke coil 34. A resistance 36 is connected between the leads 31 and 32 to serve as a voltage divider as is well understood, leads being taken from the resistance 36 at any desired point therealong.

In the arrangement shown, the negative side of the battery 23, the negative end of the coil 13, and the entire core means of the transformer are connected to the ground. This is efiected by means of a ground connection to the core means at 37, the core means in turn being connected with the negative end of the battery 23 at 38 and withthe negative end of the coil 13 at By the use of my improved construction as illustrated and as above described, a plate current of very even and smooth character is taken from the desired points along the resistance 36 such as to operate very successfully in connection with a radio apparatus. The arrangement is such that there is almost no drain at all upon the battery 23 by reason of the operation of the vibrator by the current from the battery. Inasmuch as the entire field created by the current from the battery 23 is utilized for producing the induced current through the coil 13, the mechanism is very eflicient. I have found in practice that the regular battery ordinarily used on an automobile is able in connection with my improved apparatus to provide plate current for a radio without, putting any undue load upon the battery and without the necessity for continually recharging the battery other than as is ordinarily provided for in the operation of an automobile.

I have found in practice that by the use of an electrolytic condenser 24 across the leads 21-22, a very satisfactory break of the circuit is effected so as to insure the production of a pulsating current through the secondary coil 13 of a highly desirable form such as is readily transformed into a uniform current for impression upon the plates of a series of radio tubes.

By the use of my improved construction, I have found that condensers 33 and 35 of comparatively small capacity are capable of performing the desired filtering operation very satisfactorily.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, a notch 16a is used in lieu of an air gap 16, the provision of such notch 16a. serving to provide a portion of the return path means 15 of substantially higher reluctance than the remainder of such return path means with thearrangement such that when the arm 17a is moved toward the return path means the effective reluctance therethrough is substantially lessened.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, I have provided a vibrator arm 40 of brass or other nonmagnetic material, which in the arrangement shown is supported by a standard 41 independently of the core of the transformer. The arm 40 is provided at its free end with a soft iron core member 42 which is adapted to move against the resiliency of the arm 40 toward the return path means 15. In this arrangement, the circuit lead 21 from the coil 11 is connected with the spark block 43 rather than with the arm 40. The arrangement in Fig. 2 is otherwise the same as that above described. In the operation of the device as shown in Fig. 2, the auxiliary core part 42 is not normally of different polarity from that of the adjacent portion of the return path means 15, since such auxiliary core part 42 is not mag netically connected with the core of the transformer. When, however, a considerable flux is being established across the air gap 16 at the same time an increasing number of lines of force are jumping from the return path means at one side of the air gap to the auxiliary core member 42 and from such auxiliary core member 42 to the portion of the return path means 15 at the opposite side of the air gap. As a result of this construction, the auxiliary core member 42 is attracted to both of the separated portions of the return path means 15 resulting in the movement of the auxiliary core member toward the return path means for causing the breakage of the circuit 2l-22.

While I prefer to employ the form of means as shown in my drawing and as above described, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited thereto except so far as the claims may be so limited by the prior art, it being understood that changes may well be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from my invention.

1. In a device vof the type described, the combination of a core .member, primary and secondary coils mounted on said core member for effecting opposite polarity at the ends of said core member, other core means connecting opposite ends of said core member and providing a complete magnetic metal return path for the flux through said core member, other return path means between the ends of said coremember comprising an armature of magnetic metal having a fixed magnetic connection with a core portion of one polarity and located adjacent to a core portion of the opposite polarity but normally out. of engagement with said core portion and movable yieldingly toward said core portion by the influence of a magnetic flux through said armature, and means for feeding current to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of the armature so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, primary and secondary coils mounted on said core member for effecting opposite polarity at the ends of said core member, other core means connecting opposite ends of said core member and providing a com plete magnetic metal return path for the flux through said core member, other return path means between the ends of said core member, comprising a bar of magnetic metal magnetically connected with said core member at one end of the member and an armature in the form of a resilient arm of magnetic metal having a fixed magnetic connection with the opposite end portion of said core member and extending into proximity with said bar so as to be movable by magnetic attraction toward said bar against the resiliency of the arm, and means for feeding current to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of the armature so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, a primary coil and two secondary coils mounted on said core member serving uponenergization of said primary coil to effect opposite polarity at the ends of said core member, other core means connecting opposite ends of said coremember and providing a complete magnetic metal return path for the flux through said core member, other return path means between the ends of said core member comprising an armature of magnetic metal having a fixed magnetic connection with a core portion of one polarity and located adjacent to a core portion of the opposite polarity but normally out of engagement with said core portion and movable yieldin'gly toward said core portion by the influence of a magnetic flux through said armature, a battery, means for feeding current from said battery to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of the armature so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil, a vacuum tube rectifier, means for feeding a heating current from one of said secondary coils to the filament of said tube, and means comprising a work circuit for connecting the other of said secondary coils with the plate and the filament of said tube for producing an unidirectional pulsating current through said other secondary coil.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, primary and secondary coils mounted on said core member, core means providing, a complete magnetic metal return path for the flux through said core member except for an air gap therein, a vibrator comprising an arm-of magnetic metal magnetically connected with the core means at one side of said air gap and extending into position adjacent to said return path-means on the opposite side of said air gap so as to be attracted by said return path means and being movable toward said return path means, and means for feeding current to said primary coil and comprising switch means in connection with said arm adapted to be opened by a movement of the arm toward said return path means. 7

5. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, primary and secondary coils mounted on said core member, core means providing a complete magnetic metal return path for the flux through said core member except for an air gap therein, a vibrator comprising an arm of magnetic metal magnetically connected with said core member and extending into position opposite said air gap so as to be attracted by the return path means and movable toward said return path means for bridging said air gap, and means for feeding current to said primary coil and comprising switch means in connection with said arm adapted to be opened by a movement of the arm toward said return path means.

6. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, a primary coil and two secondary coils mounted on said core member, core means providing a complete magnetic metal return path for the flux through said core member except for an air gap therein, a vibrator comprising an arm of magnetic metal magneti cally connected with the core means at one side of said air gap and extending into position adjacent to said return path means on the opposite side of said air gap so as to be attracted by said return path means and being movable toward said return path means, a battery, means for Y feeding current from said battery to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of said vibrator so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil, a vacuum tube rectifier, means for feeding a heating current from one of said secondary coils to the filament of the said tube, and means comprising a work circuit for connecting the other of said secondary coils with the plate and the filament of said tube for producing a unidirectional pulsating current through said other secondary coil and said work circuit.

7. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, primary and secondary coils mounted on said core member, return path means for at least a part of the fiux through said core member formed of magnetic metal throughout at least the principal portion of its length and having a portion of reduced size whereby the magnetic density is higher at that point than at the remainder of said return path means, an auxiliary core part of magnetic metal yieldingly mounted adjacent to said return path means and adapted when moved toward said return path means to provide a magnetic connection from said core member at one side 01' said portion of reduced size to the core part at the opposite side of said portion of reduced size, and means for feeding current to said primary coil and comprising switch means adapted to be opened by the movement of said auxiliary core part toward said return path means.

8. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, primary and secondary coils mounted on said core member, return path means for at least-a part of the fiux through said core member in the form of a bar of magnetic metal of substantially uniform size throughout the principal portion of its length but having a notch therein at one point whereby the magnetic density at that point is higher than at the remainder of its length, other return path means comprising an armature of magnetic metal having a fixed magnetic connection with said first named return path means at one side of said notch and extending into proximity with said first named return path means at the opposite side of the notch but normally out of engagement with said first named return path means at said opposite side 01' the notch and movable yieldingly toward said first named return path means, and means for feeding current to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of the armature so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil.

9. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, a primary coil and two secondary coils mounted on said core member, return path means for at least a part of the flux through said core member in the form of a bar of magnetic metal having a portion of reduced size at one point whereby the magnetic density at that point is higher than at the principal remaining portions of said return path means, other return path means comprising an armature of magnetic metal having a fixed magnetic connection with said first named return path means at one side of said portion of reduced size and extending into proximity with said first named return path means at the opposite side of the portion of reduced size but normally out of engagement with said first named return path means at said opposite side and movable yieldingly toward said first named return path means, a battery, means for feeding current from said battery to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of the armature so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary c il, a vacuum tube rectifier, means for feeding heating current from one of said secondary coils to the filament of said tube, and means comprising a work circuit for connecting the other of said secondary coils with the plate and the filament of said tube for producing a unidirectional pulsating current through said other secondary coil.

10. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, a primary coil and two secondary coils mounted on said core member, core means connecting the ends of said core member and providing a complete magnetic meta1 return path for a portion of the flux through said core member, other core means providing an auxiliary return path for at least a portion of the fiux through said core member and of a size to permit a substantial flux therethrough but arranged so as to offer substantially increased resistance to the flux at one point therealong as compared with the principal remaining portions thereof, other return path means comprising an armature of magnetic metal yieldingly mounted adjacent to said before mentioned core means so as to be attracted thereby, a battery, means for feeding current from said battery to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of the armature so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil, a vacuum tube rectifier, means for feeding a current from one of said secondary coils for heating the filament of said tube, and means comprising a work circuit connected with the other of said secondary coils and with said tube whereby a unidirectional pulsating current is set up through said other secondary coil.

11. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, a primary coil and two secondary coils mounted on said core member, core means connecting the ends of said core member and providing a complete magnetic metal return path for a portion of the flux through said core member, other core means providing an auxiliary return path for at least a portion of the flux through said core member and of a size to permit a substantial flux therethrough but arranged so as to offer substantially increased resistance to the flux at one point therealong as compared with the principal remaining portions thereof, other return path means comprising an arm of magnetic metal having a fixed magnetic connection with said before mentioned core means at one point 'therealong and extending into proximity to said core means at another point of diiferent potential whereby said arm is attracted by said core means, a battery, means for feeding current from said battery to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of said arm so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil, a vacuum tube rectifier, means for feeding a current from one of said secondary coils for heating the filament of said tube, and

means comprising a work circuit connected with the other of said secondary coils and with said tube whereby a unidirectional pulsating current is set up through said other secondary coil.

12. In a device of the type described, the combination of a core member, a primary coil and two secondary coils mounted on said core mem;

ber, core means connecting the ends of said core member and providing a complete magnetic metal return path for a portion of the flux through said core member, other core means providing an auxiliary return path for at leasta portion of the flux through said core member and of a size to permit a substantial flux therethrough but arranged so as to offer substantially increased resistance to the flux at one point therealong as compared with the principal remaining portions thereof, other return path means comprising an armature of magnetic metal yieldingly mounted adjacent to said point of increased resistance so as to act as a by-pass around said increased resistance portion, a battery, means for feeding current from said battery to said primary coil and comprising switch means opened and closed by successive movements of the armature so as to cause intermittent energization of said primary coil, a vacuum tube rectifier, means for feeding a current from one of said secondary coils for heating the filament of said tube, and means comprising a work circuit connected with the other of said secondary coils and with said is set up through said other secondary coil.

STEPHEN F. JAMES. 

